Shoes for the Betrodden

It's now justifiably summer in Japan, with all the heat and humidity and cicadas and stuff.  And that means it's also time for shopping.  Actually, any time is time for shopping here, as there are just a lot of interesting material possessions to be possessed in this country.

I like buying shoes in Japan, and I've been searching for some simple and breezy sneakers lately.  I bought some Tom's shoes back in spring when I was in the US, but the sizes are so inconsistent that I realized about two weeks after buying them that they were way too small (they're supposed to stretch, I thought).

As a result of shopping for shoes, I've had shoes on the brain lately.  I had a lot of shoes as a kid, but I often wore the same pair for many months in a row, sometimes years if they were good quality.  Because of this continuous use,  it's easy to become emotionally attached to them.  I had a lot of Chuck Taylors, first as a fashion statement as a four-year-old (dinosaur track Chucks, yeah!), but later as a statement of hipster irony when I thought that was cool.  I had a pair of green Chucks when I was twelve and remember being warned by an acquaintance: "Be careful when you wear those.  They're pretty gay, and you could get beat up."  I heeded his ridiculous warning and went back to my much more socially acceptable Reebok Shawn Kemps.

But I finally grew up enough to ignore labels like those and bought myself another pair of green Chucks when I was 16.  They couldn't have cost more than 30 bucks, and they lasted for about ten years.  I can still wear them, actually, but they just look pretty ratty.  They were one of the last pairs to be made in the USA, and the quality is noticeably better than the currently outsourced ones.  The rubber used in the soles is soft, gummy, and bouncy, and more comfortable, whereas the current shoes almost feel like plastic.  The canvas also feels thicker, and the stitching lasted in my USA Chucks.

Those green American Chucks became one (two?) with my feet--and my personality.  In fact, it's hard for me to feel comfortable in any shoes that aren't green.  I've had some pretty good contenders for "Best Ry Shoes" since the green Chucks, but none have usurped them yet.  Here's hoping to find some in Japan.